SCCA: Sapp takes Speedvision Touring Car Lime Rock Pole in Wild Session
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
May 27, 2001
LAKEVILLE, Conn. - Neal Sapp, of Ellicott City, Md., overcame a damp but drying track to earn his second pole of the 2001 SCCA Pro Racing Speedvision World Challenge Touring Car Championship season for today's Round Four race at Lime Rock Park. Ken Dobson, of Carmel Valley, Calif., and Scotland's David Leslie completed the top-three.
Driving the No. 55 duPont Motorsports/ERT BMW 328is, Sapp turned a fastest lap of 1:02.998 (87.431 mph) on his last lap of the session to steal the pole away from Dobson's No. 7 Westek Electronics/SSF Import Parts BMW 328Ci, who set a fast lap of 1:03.173 (87.189 mph).
"On what turned out to be the last few laps of the session, the scoreboard in turn one really helped me out and I saw myself in third," said an enthused Sapp. "Then my guys told me over the radio that I was second with a minute remaining. I looked at the board again coming into turn one, saw myself in second, put my foot down, and here we are."
Dobson was set to take his first-career pole until Sapp's final lap. Ironically, he drives the same car which Sapp took the pole with last year.
Former British Touring Car standout David Leslie capitalized on his wet-weather experience to take third in the No. 2 Mirko Racing Mazda 626, followed by Chuck Hemmingson, of Des Moines, Iowa, in a Mazda Protégé, followed by Don Salama, of Avon, Conn., in a BMW 328is.
Pierre Kleinubing, winner of the two most recent poles and races at Sebring and Mosport International Raceways, had a wet setup on the drying track, and could only manage ninth on the grid.
Today's Round Four race will take the green light this afternoon, at 1:40 p.m. (ET).
Text provided by Eric Prill
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